


Candlenights in November

by eidolonsight



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: M/M, istus and the raven queen are in lesbian in the background
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-21 05:25:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16570487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eidolonsight/pseuds/eidolonsight
Summary: It's not actually, but I thought this was a cute idea and I'm not waiting a month to post it.Kravitz has a knack for worrying, Taako makes pies, and the Raven Queen is a bird mom.





	Candlenights in November

**Author's Note:**

> Didn't proof-read this bad boy enjoy

Collecting bounties and guiding souls is never easy around Candlenights. There’s always a rise in lonely, desperate widows trying to bring their lovers back, cults disrupting bands of travelers heading to distant family, even regular death holds heavier weight when he has to weave through grieving friends and family. Early on in his years of work, he feels his own loss resurface, glimpsing happy reunions and parties in passing. The Raven Queen always offers the day of Candlenights off to Kravitz, but every century he declines. No one should have to see the grim reaper during a holiday, but if it must be, he has no reason to shrug his duties.

Except this year brought a reason, in the form of a decorated envelope scented with peppermint. 

“Taako - you know I basically live with you, right? You don’t need to give me an invitation to your party.” He’d laughed after pulling the ornate card out.

The comment was met with a wave of the elf’s hand and a  _ pshhh _ before he replied, “ _ Look _ , I worked too fucking hard on those for you not to admire my work. Show it to your mom, or something, maybe she’ll wanna come -”

Kravitz tried to interject, “Love, she’s not -”

“- yeah whatever. Just tell her you get the day off, I can and  _ will _ argue with a giant bird to make sure my boyfriend spends Candlenights at my bitching party.” 

He’d assured Taako profusely of his attendance afterward. Why wouldn’t he go, after all? This isn’t just his first Candlenights with his gorgeous boyfriend, but the first time he’s had a reason to celebrate it in...a few centuries? a millennium? Excitement brims over so much he doesn’t feel burdened by the awful jobs he’s sent on approaching the holiday, not this time. Even the Raven Queen notices, asking if for  _ once _ he does have plans. It’s all perfect. Kravitz had forgotten how wonderful it is to have friends, can’t even remember if he ever had a relationship this serious in life, or one that just made him this happy. Nothing falters his enthusiasm for the weeks leading up to Taako’s party. Nothing, until a dreadful thought occurs early on the day before Candlenights. 

He didn’t get Taako anything.

Well, he didn’t get anyone any presents. The whole thing about not celebrating any holidays for upwards of a thousand years? It became easy to forget that the gift exchange is part of it. It hits him while he passes through the bustling city of Neverwinter, currently blanketed in snow and fairy lights, as he watches countless people duck in and out of stores. He doesn’t have any gift for his beloved, and doesn’t have any fucking clue what to get him. 

The question of what to do now eats at him all day. It’s a classic case of ‘Kravitz-over-thinks’ and part of him realizes that in the face of more extreme thoughts like “ _ oh my queen he’s going to think I don’t care and hate me and break up with me _ ”, but for the most part he doesn’t stop the whirlpool of thoughts dragging his mood deeper into the void of worry. All he needs is a bit more time, right? He’s still going to be there tomorrow, of course. Maybe just not as early as he had promised. Or maybe he could be a little late, but still show up. It’s an easy enough to remind him that cults don’t usually take holidays off. 

Still, the day passes, onto Candlenights morning, then afternoon, and even as evening approaches he doesn’t feel any closer to some kind of breakthrough revelation aside from showing up late and saying he’s been too busy with the holiday necromancy rush to pick up anything. Imagining any look of disappointment on Taako’s face makes his stomach ache too much to want to go through with it, though.

So he finds himself back in the Raven Queen’s court. 

The last job had been too simple for him to drag out very long - in a matter of hours the lost soul had been squared away and paperwork filed. After finishing the tug of her call never came. He knows why, in the back of his mind, and opts to feign innocence in approaching her. Before even dropping to one knee and addressing her, he’s addressed.

“ **What are you doing back here, Kravitz? Don’t you have somewhere to be soon?** ” She asks, bird-like face unblinking in contrast to the tone lilted with confusion. 

Kravitz clears his throat and puts on the most convincing act he can manage while feeling like he’s going to crumple and die under the weight of anxiety he’s put on himself over this. “My queen, I wanted to be sure there is nothing else you wish of me before I leave. I assure you I have the time."

There’s a pause and without looking up he can feel beady eyes staring into him. Following that is a hum, and finally a  _ tsk _ leading into her reply, “ **Dear, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were trying to stall. Earlier this week you were bursting out of your robes waiting for today. What happened?** ” 

“It’s, ah, nothing worthy of your concern, my lady.” 

“ **So there** **_is_ ** **something** ."

He isn’t sure what else to say, and doesn’t want to meet her eye. On a normal day he would never dare burden her with his special brand of Kravitz bullshit, but especially not when it’s about his personal life. 

Sensing his reluctance, the Raven Queen speaks up again. “ **Kravitz, you know I am, and have always been vested in your well being as my charge. If something concerns you, I find it of my concern as well. No matter how insignificant you may feel it to be.** ” There’s a pause, before she adds, “ **And if you won’t tell me I know where your boyfriend lives, I can always summon him for-** ”

“ _ No _ , no, that won’t be necessary.” The words come stumbling out as he snaps his head up with worry crossed in his expression, only to be smoothed over in the next moment. Even with an unreadable expression he can gleam a satisfaction radiating off of her at getting any kind of response out of him. With that he feels worn down. A sigh leaves his chest as he organizes thoughts enough to put the least insane explanation for his anxiety together. “I - ah...I just, realized yesterday, I forgot to...get anyone any presents. It - it’s silly - it’s just been a few hundred years. It didn’t occur that it was something I should, do.”

Kravitz avoids her gaze as he speaks, and upon falling silent waits for the sound of dismissive laughter, maybe a disappointed sigh and learning this is  _ really _ what he’s worked himself up over today. But after an agonizing pause, he gets neither.

“ **My child, do you know every year, we celebrate as well in the celestial plane?** ” The Raven Queen hums, finally. “ **It’s a quiet night, enough that we can slip away to do so. Our gathering is not unlike the mortals. And every year, Istus and I promise we will get the other some magnificent gift as a symbol of our love. Do you know, dear, what we have gifted each other since the beginning of fate and death themselves?** ”

He doesn’t reply, but gives her a confused look.

“ **Nothing. She is always too busy weaving her tapestries to do anything else, and I too busy heralding death. But every year we do have genuine intentions, and every year we have a night to enjoy one another. That’s enough of a gift in itself, wouldn’t you agree?** ”

Part of him is still stuck on the image of his queen standing around a celestial punch bowl, maybe even wearing a shitty Candlenights sweater. And in the next moment, he can’t believe he’s having a conversation with the goddess of death about the real meaning of Candlenights. Overall, Kravitz feels like an idiot. He nods once in response to her. “I...understand, my queen. And I am deeply grateful for your kindness in the face of my, uh, worrying.” 

That does elicit quiet laughter from the raven, and she ushers him away with the wave of a feathered hand. “ **Go, Kravitz. Put your worries aside and enjoy the company of friends.** ” 

He bows his head once more and utters a simple, “As you wish,” before summoning his scythe under hand and slicing a familiar portal into the entrance of Taako’s home. 

Despite previous efforts to be late, it’s apparent he’s still the first to arrive. Little sound fills the house aside from distant metal pans settling heavy onto a counter, followed by a louder, “ _ Ow - _ fucking shit, stupid apple…” that fades into grumbling. The smell of whatever his boyfriend cooks up is more than enough to guide him to the kitchen where, sure enough, Taako has an island slowly filling with desserts and snacks. Kravitz glances over them in favor of watching the elf that hasn’t noticed him yet, back turned as he dips his hand under running water and continues cursing under his breath.

Anxiety still lingers in the back of his mind, but he does as his queen suggested and pushes it back. 

“Need me to kiss it better, love?” he teases from the doorway, grinning wide.

Taako spins his head around as soon as he hears his boyfriend, and sure enough eyes light up when they land on him. “Oh  _ fuck _ yeah. I gotta lotta stuff that’s hurting, doc, bring that medicine my way.” 

In a few strides Kravitz is close enough to pull Taako in for a drawn out kiss, one that’s only broken so he can gingerly pull the other’s injured hand to his lips as well. The act grants a tender silence so difficult to get from to elf, and he lets it last until saying, “It smells good in here. I’m surprised Lup wasn’t helping with the prep.”

With that, Taako rolls his eyes and gives a loud huff before going back to plating some extravagant apple pie. “She was going to - then  _ bailed _ on me so she could spend some ‘ _ quality time’ _  with her ‘ _ boyfriend _ ’-” the words are spoken with exaggerated air quotes, “Leaving me to do all of this  _ fantastic _ cooking by myself. Am I mad?  _ Noo _ , of course not. More spoons for me to lick, baby! Yep! Taako is good here all by himself! Gonna get all the cred for this one!"

Kravitz is happy to lean against an unused counter and listen to his boyfriend rant, not interrupting, only giggling behind his hand at the exaggerated motions that go along with the display. Until Taako goes on, and his expression falters.

“Oh yeah - Krav, if you got any presents just stick em under the bush.”

“Ah - about that…” he clears his throat, a hand fiddling nervously with the collar of his shirt. “I, um, I kind of forgot to get anyone, anything. It’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these. I’m sorry about that, Taako, really, it’s -”

He’s cut off by the elf pausing in his work to spin around, pointing a knife accusingly at his chin and saying, “Hey - babe, don’t fuckin tell me you’ve been doing the Krav thing and freaking out about this. I don’t give a shit. No one else gives a shit. I didn’t get half these people anything, their present is that I’m letting them come into my house. And we’re gonna have a fun night and get totally smashed on the nog I made, so leave the sorrys and shit outside, alright?” 

The mildly threatening delivery still manages to put the reaper at ease. Kravitz looks down at him for a moment, before slowly pushing the knife out of the way, and planting another kiss on his lips. “Understood, dear.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! For more Content like my art follow my blog https://thesun-star-moon.tumblr.com/


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